Council tightens height restrictions

MARLBORO - The Township Coun-cil has adopted an amendment to an existing ordinance creating a more restrictive code for building height requirements in the municipality.

The current ordinance requires buildings to be 35 feet or three stories tall. Council President Jeff Cantor previously stated that the language of the current ordinance is vague and permits buildings to be more than 35 feet in height if the structure is three stories tall.

The amendment requires buildings to be either two-and-a-half stories or three stories tall, depending on the residential zone, but in no case is the structure permitted to be more than 35 feet in height.

The height of a building is measured by the median of the roof and the average level of the ground around the building. Township Attorney Andrew Bayer said this permits a pitched roof to be more than 35 feet in height in some cases.

A grandfather clause is included for all development that has already been built and for any pending housing plans or court ordered housing projects.